Brief Substance Craving Scale - BSCS

Technical Manual

Script Author: Katja Borchert, Ph.D. (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond

Created: January 27, 2018

Last Modified: January 02, 2025 by K. Borchert (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond

Script Copyright © Millisecond Software, LLC

Background

This script implements a computerized version of the Brief Substance Craving Scale (BSCS) by Somoza et al (1995).

References

Somoza, E., Dyrenforth, S., Goldsmith, J., Mezinskis, J., & Cohen, M., (1995). In search of a universal drug craving scale. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association, Miami Florida.

https://adai.washington.edu/instruments/pdf/Brief_Substance_Craving_Scale_50.pdf

Duration

0.5 minutes

Description

4 self-report questions regarding 2 potentially craved drugs (intensity, frequency, length and number of times for cravings)

Summary Data

File Name: bscs_summary.iqdat' (Inquisit Lab: one data file per participant)

Data Fields

NameDescription
inquisit.version Inquisit version number
computer.platform Device platform: win | mac |ios | android
computer.touch 0 = device has no touchscreen capabilities; 1 = device has touchscreen capabilities
computer.hasKeyboard 0 = no external keyboard detected; 1 = external keyboard detected
startDate Date the session was run
startTime Time the session was run
subjectId Participant ID
groupId Group number
sessionId Session number
elapsedTime Session duration in ms
completed 0 = Test was not completed
1 = Test was completed
primarySubstance None = 0
Downers or Sedatives (Barbiturates, etc.) = 1
Benzos (Valium, Xanax, etc.) = 2
Hallucinogens (including ecstasy) = 3
Alcohol=4
Heroin or other Opiates (Morphine, etc.) =5
Marijuana =6
Stimulants (cocaine, amphetamine) =7
Other (specify): = 8 (other response is stored in raw data file only)
q1Intensity1 None at all= 0
Slight= 1
Moderate = 2
Considerable = 3
Extreme =4
q2Frequency1 Never = 0
Almost never =1
Several times =2
Regularly =3
Almost constantly =4
q3Length1 None at all =0
Very short =1
Short =2
Somewhat long =3
Very long =4
q4Number1 Textbox response for number of cravings within the last 24h
q1Intensity2 None at all= 0
Slight= 1
Moderate = 2
Considerable = 3
Extreme =4
q2Frequency2 Never = 0
Almost never =1
Several times =2
Regularly =3
Almost constantly =4
q3Length2 None at all =0
Very short =1
Short =2
Somewhat long =3
Very long =4
q4Number2 Textbox response for number of cravings within the last 24h

Raw Data

File Name: bscs.iqdat

Data Fields

NameDescription
date Date the session was run
time Time the session was run
subject Participant ID
group Group number
session Session number
build Inquisit version number
q*_response Response given (in assigned values)
Scale
R = automatically reversed scored questions
q*_latency How much time (in ms) the participant spent on the surveyPage with this particular
question (the last time this particular surveyPage was visited)